The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

The Goddess Test
Aimée Carter
The Goddess Test #1

Kate's mom wants to spend her last days in her hometown, so Kate and her mom leave New York City for smalltown Michigan. There Kate finds a little more than cliques and classes - an accident forces her into a world she never dreamed of. To help her mother, Kate agrees to spend six months at Henry's estate and to take the tests he sets her. And if she passes, she'll be a goddess, Henry's consort.


The Goddess Test is an enjoyable, light YA read. I liked the style of writing a lot, and I appreciated the modern incarnations of the Greek gods.

I do wish Carter had gone to the trouble to make them a little more distinct from their Greek personae - their personalities were definitely different from the ones established in myth, and at one point someone explains that they are merely the sort of personification of various concepts and primal forces. But I would have liked to see that idea expanded further, so that the combination of Greek gods and the Christian seven deadly sins made more sense, because I'm pretty sure the Greek gods were all about the seven deadly sins. (Also, historical timeline. But I will not pick nits.)

Kate was a pretty good lead character. Having to spend most of her teen years taking care of her sick mother made her less angsty than a lot of YA characters, which was nice. Henry was not what I expected. I thought he was a little too nice for the god of the dead. The other "gods" were also a little bland.

However, I did enjoy this book. It's romance- and introspection-heavy and action-light, but it's fun to read and a good way to spend an afternoon. I'm kind of wondering where the next book is going, because everything seemed pretty well wrapped up in this one, but I'll read it.

Plot: 3 cupcakes
Characters: 2 cupcakes
Style: 4 cupcakes
Overall: 3 cupcakes

If you liked The Goddess Test, try:
Die for Me by Amy Plum
Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini